A Chance to Choose

Genesis 2:17 says, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Though Adam and Eve were created innocent and holy, they were not beyond the ability of wrongdoing. At the very beginning of human existence, a check was placed upon the desire for self-indulgence.

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was right next to the tree of life, and the order was given by God that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was not permissible to eat from. They were to be tested of their loyalty and exposed to the temptations of Satan. And if they were to pass this test, then they would forever be out of the grasp of Satan’s power and could enjoy communion with God.

God very well could’ve created Adam and Eve without the capacity to sin. He could’ve stopped Eve before she took hold of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But if this were the case, then Adam and Eve would not have free will, and they would not be able to develop character. It would’ve been unworthy of intelligent humans. And it would’ve sustained Satan’s attack on God’s character as being an imposing arbiter.

God made man with moral uprightness, a will to develop character, and no bias toward evil. God gave humans strong intellectual powers and presented before them the strongest possible inducements for them to say yes to God. Perfect and perpetual obedience is the condition for eternal happiness and to be able to eat from the tree of life.

So long as they remained loyal to the divine law, their capacity to know, to enjoy, and to love would continually increase. They would be constantly gaining new treasures of knowledge, discovering fresh springs of happiness, and obtaining clearer and yet clearer conceptions of the immeasurable, unfailing love of God.

God is giving every human being today the same ability to choose Him instead of sin. He is calling us today to choose Him … to be with Him … to walk with Him … to be loyal to Him. He’s never going to force you. He’s never going to exert His power of force upon you. But He calls you with strings of love with His arms outstretched to follow Him, to be in a relationship with Him, and to love Him more than we love our desire to fulfill our passions.

What are you choosing today?

Pastor Anthony Nix

Anthony serves as the Pastor For Anderson Seventh-day Adventist Church in Anderson, IN. A charismatic communicator with a message that motivates discipleships to Jesus, Anthony teaches on a variety of topics, emphasizing God’s unfailing love and His desire to be in relationship with His creation. He is a graduate of Southern Adventist University. Anthony and his wife Nayeli have three beautiful and loving children.